Wintergrün Castle

The origins of Wintergrün date back to 1188, when Otto von Machland transferred his Lungau possessions to the Salzburg Cathedral Chapter. Together with Finstergrün Castle, Wintergrün served as a border fortification on the Mur River against Styria. In 1459, Archbishop Sigismund declared the mining area a free district and made Wintergrün Castle its administrative center. It became the seat of the Moosham family. Seyfried von Moosham, son of Wilhelm von Moosham, had a chapel dedicated to Saint Helena built in the castle and endowed masses. After the Moosham family died out, ownership passed through various hands, including the Weitmoser family and later the Jocher siblings. In 1662, Balthasar Plockh von Arnholz acquired the castle to preserve the chapel. After further changes of ownership, mining operations ceased in 1778 but resumed in 1806. A forest fire in 1841 severely damaged the castle. In 1892, the south wing was demolished, and the chapel tower removed. Since 1827, the castle has been owned by the Schwarzenberg family and underwent renovation between 1970 and 1973.